STATISTICS: MALAWI

Malawi Official name: Republic of Malawi. Form of government: multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly ). Head of state and government: President. Capital:{1}. Official language: none. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 Malawi kwacha (MK) = 100 tambala; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = MK 40.05; 1 = MK 68.19. Demography Population (1998): 9,840,000. Density (1998){2}: persons per sq mi 270.3, persons per sq km 104.4. Urban-rural (1987): urban 10.7%; rural 89.3%. Sex distribution (1987): male 48.40%; female 51.60%. Age breakdown (1987): under 15, 46.0%; 15-29, 25.4%; 30-44, 14.5%; 45-59, 8.1%; 60 and over, 6.0%. Population projection: (2000) 10,154,000; (2010) 11,330,000. Doubling time: 41 years. Ethnic composition (1983): Maravi (including Nyanja, Chewa, Tonga, and Tumbuka) 58.3%; Lomwe 18.4%; Yao 13.2%; Ngoni 6.7%; other 3.4%. Religious affiliation (1995): Christian 50.3%, of which Protestant 20.5%, Roman Catholic 18.0%; Muslim 20.0%; traditional beliefs 10.0%; other 19.7%. Major cities (1994): Blantyre 446,800; Lilongwe 395,500{3}; Mzuzu 62,700. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1996): 41.6 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1996): 24.5 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1996): 17.1 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1996): 5.9. Life expectancy at birth (1996): male 35.9 years; female 36.5 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1986){4}: infectious and parasitic diseases 711, of which malaria 270, diarrheal diseases 148, measles 128; malnutrition 267; diseases of the respiratory system 265. National economy Budget (1995-96). Revenue: MK 4,436,000,000 (tax revenue 86.9%, nontax revenue 10.9%, other 2.2%). Expenditures: MK 7,738,000,000 (wages and salaries 21.5%, debt service 20.9%). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$2,092,000,000. Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture (1996): sugarcane 1,860,000, corn (maize) 1,793,000, potatoes 380,000, cassava 220,000, plantains 200,000, tobacco 142,000, bananas 91,000, dry beans 80,000, sorghum 55,000, peanuts (groundnuts) 40,000, tea 37,000; livestock (number of live animals) 1,257,000 goats, 700,000 cattle, 220,000 pigs, 101,000 sheep; roundwood (1995) 10,475,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 45,427. Mining and quarrying (1995): limestone 173,800{5}; rubies, sapphires, and aquamarines 550 kg. Manufacturing (value added in MK '000; 1986): chemicals 30,805; textiles 19,630; food products 11,988; beverages 11,988; tobacco 9,480. Construction (value in MK; 1994): 41,700,000{6}. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1994) 802,000,000 (802,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1994) none (15,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) none (190,000). Tourism: receipts (1995) U.S.$6,000,000; expenditures (1994) U.S.$15,000,000. Land use (1994): forested 39.3%; meadows and pastures 19.6%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 18.1%; other 23.0%. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$1,832,000,000 (U.S.$180 per capita). Population economically active (1987): total 3,457,753; activity rate 43.3% (participation rates: ages 15-64, 84.6%; female 51.5%; unemployed 5.4%). Household income and expenditure (1979-80). Average household size (1987) 4.3; income per household MK 1,934 (U.S.$2,419); sources of income: wages 83.3%, household enterprise 6.0%; expenditure (1990){7}: food 55.5%, clothing and footwear 11.7%, housing 9.6%, household durable goods 8.4%. Foreign trade{8} Imports (1995): MK 7,254,949,000 (1990; transport equipment 9.2%, petroleum products 8.3%, clothing 3.8%, pharmaceutical products 2.2%). Major import sources: South Africa 44.4%; Germany 4.5%; U.K. 4.3%; United States 3.7%. Exports (1995): MK 6,192,563,000 (tobacco 63.2%, tea 6.7%, sugar 6.5%, cotton 0.9%). Major export destinations: South Africa 16.2%; Germany 14.7%; Japan 11.1%; U.S. 10.9%; Mozambique 7.6%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1994): route length 490 mi, 789 km; passenger-km 18,995,000; metric ton-km cargo 56,778,000. Roads (1995): total length 17,324 mi, 27,880 km (paved 18%). Vehicles (1995): passenger cars 25,400; trucks and buses 28,900. Air transport (1994){9}: passenger-km 289,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 28,000,000; airports (1997) 5. Education and health Educational attainment (1987). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal education 55.0%; primary education 39.8%; secondary and higher 5.2%. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 56.4%; males literate 71.9%; females literate 41.8%. Health: physicians (1989) 186 (1 per 47,634 persons); hospital beds (1987) 12,617 (1 per 627 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1996) 139.9. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,038 (vegetable products 97%, animal products 3%); 88% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 5,000 (army 100%; marines, none; air force, none). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 1.6% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$2. {1} A capital is not designated in the 1994 constitution. Current government operations are divided among Lilongwe (ministerial and financial); Blantyre (executive and judicial); and Zomba (legislative). {2} Based on land area. {3} Includes Limbe. {4} Estimates based on reported inpatient deaths in hospitals, constituting an estimated 8% of total deaths. {5} 1994. {6} Cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu only. {7} Weights of consumer price index components, cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe only. {8} Import figures are f.o.b. in balance of trade and c.i.f. in commodities and trading partners. Reexports included in balance of trade, excluded from commodities and trading partners. {9} Air Malawi only.